Closure applying mechanism



Oct. 28, 1952 s, YOUNG 2,615,608

CLOSURE APPLYING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 25, 1948 2 Sl-iEETS-Sl-IEET l Oct.28, 1952 s. D. YOUNG 2,615,608

CLOSURE APPLYING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 25, 1948 2 sms'rs-srmm 2 PatentedOct. 28, 1952 )UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE l Y 12,615,668} fl CLOSUREAPPLYINGMECVHANIIISM Samuel bavison Young, England Application February25, 1948, Serial No. 10,896 V In' Great Britain February s, 1944 Section1, Public new e'iid fiuk ust s, 1946 Patent expires February 3, 1964; V

the mouth or opening ofthe container designed for assisting in securinga cap or closure in posi tion thereon. l I r The invention consists inaclosing head for securing caps or closures furnishedwith a peripheralflange having a false wire, beaded or other wise thickened outwardextending continuous or uninterrupted edge or extremity on containersfurnished with a welt, bead or the like or otherwise formed to provide arecess or, re-entrant portion below the mouth of theope'n'ing thereof,adapted to encircle the flange of the cap or closure and provided at aplurality of spaced intervals with elements projecting inward and formedto effect local displacement of the edge of the flange of the cap orclosure in a downward and radially inward direction leaving interveningl/ portions of the flange free. I

The elements adapted to secure local inward anddownward displacement ofthe continuous edge of the cap or closure are in effect ribs and theywill normally be furnished adjacent the open end of the closing headwith inclined or radiussed portions to facilitate the entry and gradualdisplacement of portions of the flange of the cap or closure in adownward and radially inward direction by the movement of. the head in adirection parallel with the axis of the container.

The number of points with which the elements are provided in the headfor effecting displacement of the flange may be varied in accordancewith requirements.

In the case of a head designed for engaging the cap or closure, on astandard 1 lb. jam jar, it may be six, or preferably twelve, while inthe case of containers of the character employed for potted meat, fouror preferably eight may be sufficient.

The invention will be described further in detail and by way of examplewith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a cap or closure secured inaccordance with the invention to a standard 1 1b. jam jar.

Figure 2 is a corresponding plan view.

Figure 3 is a view in elevation partly in section of a jar furnishedwith a peripheral flange, such as is commonly employed in packing pottedmeats having secured to it in accordance with the in vention a cap orclosure.

Figure 4 is a view in sectional elevation of a sealing head for use insecuring the cap or closure in position.

f f Figure 5 is asectional plan viewon planes indicated by the line V-'-V in Figure 4. g

v As'will be seen from Figures 1, 2 and 3, the cap or closure isgenerally of the usual formand is furnished with a flange I having afalse wire edge 2, portions of which 3 at equally spaced intervals havebeen defleotedinward and under the'e'dge of the welt 4 of a jam jar orbelow the peripheral flange of a jar such as is used in the vacuumpacking of potted" meats, thereby securing the cap} 'or closure inposition with for instance a washer orjjointv ring 5 bearing on the topofthe welt. i l

For effecting this, connection a closing head generally as illustratedinFigures 4 and 5, isused. jAs will be seenjthis closing head which isadapted to be engaged with the ram of a'press of I known construction,comprises a crown member GWhich forms a housing for aplurality'gof jaws1, which are provided with bevelled surfaces 8 adjacent to their'lowerextremities to facilitate their passageu'over 'the'false wire or, wirededge of the cap or closure and are located in recesses as shown intheupper portion of the'housing and extend through gaps between the fingers9 at the lower'extremity of the housing, the jaws being securedinposition inthe recesses by set'screws l0j engaged in a flanged'top plateH and bearing upon packing pieces [2 contacting with the jaws, thehousing being engaged in the top plate by screws l3.

In the construction shown, through the housing in the top plate extendsthe stem M of a pressure plate IS the purpose of which is to hold thecap in position against its sealing ring or the like on the flange orthe equivalent portion of the container in order that the sealingoperation may be completed by the downward movement of the closing head.

While in the above detailed description the invention has been describedin its application to securing caps or closures to glass jars, it is tobe understood that it may be applied to securing caps'or closures oncontainers formed of sheet metal of the type in which in the peripheralwall of the container there is provided an annular recess somewhat belowits upper or outer extremity.

It is therefore clear that my present invention i provides a closinghead for cooperation with closures of the type having a dependingperipheral flange, which flange is provided with an uninterrupted,thickened, radially extending outer edge. The closure head beingoperable and dimensioned to encircle the flange of the closure or capand secure the same to a container of the type having a welt or beadadjacent the mouth which projects outwardly of the body of the containerand provides a recess or reentrant portion below the mouth of thecontainer. The closure head of the invention comprises a crown memberincluding a body from'which depends a skirt. The skirt is provided withlongitudinally extended, circumferentially spaced slits. The bodyportion has greater diametrical extent than the skirt and is providedwith longitudinally extendin grooves on the periphery thereof inlongitudinal alignment with the slits. Within each groove and extendinglongitudinally of the axis of the crown member are provided jaw members.Therefore the jaw members will correspond in number to the number ofslits and thus the jaw members and the several areas of skirt betweeneach slit constitute respective finger means. The finger means on theskirt therefore being integral with the crown and means in the form ofwashers and set screws passing through apertures in a flanged top plate,or cap member rigidly and detachably secure the upper portion of each ofthe jaw members in the grooves in the body portion of the crown memberso as to rigidly and detachably secure the jaw members to the crown withthe jaws attached to the crown in cantilever fashion.

A pressure plate is disposed within the skirt in slidable relation withrespect to the crown for cooperation with the top of the closure to holdit in position against the container, whereupon downward movement of theclosing head proper, that is relative axial movement of the crown memberwith respect to the pressure plate, effects inward displacement ofportions of the uninterrupted thickened outer edge on the peripheralflange of the closure at circumferentially spaced intervals. I

The number of local displacements of the outer edge of the cap can bevaried by varying the number of the jaw members secured in the groovesin the crown. Each of the removable and detachable jaw membersterminates at its lower end with inclined or raised surfaces tofacilitate the re-entry and gradual displacement of portions of the capand these jaw members thus provide in the skirt a plurality ofcircumferential spaced points which, as shown in the drawings,

extend inwardly of the finger means embodied with the skirt so that theyefiect the local displacement of the edge on the flange of the cap in adownward and radially inward direction leaving the intervening portionsof the flange free. This relationship is clearly shown in Figure 5 wherethe removable and replaceable jaws have greater radial extent withrespect to the axis of the crown than is the thickness in the radialdirection of the skirt.

I claim:

A closing head for securing caps or closures of the type having aperipheral flange having an uninterrupted, thickened, radially extendingedge thereon to containers of the type provided with -a welt pI'OVidinga recess or reentrant portion below the mouth of the container, saidhead being adapted to encircle the flange of the cap in a closingoperation and comprising a crown having a depending skirt, said skirthaving circumferentially spaced longitudinal slits therein, a pluralityof jaws each including an upper portion and said jaws corresponding innumber to the number of slits in the skirt extending longitudinally withrespect to the axis or said crown depending therefrom and disposedwithin said slits, means rigidly and detachably securing the upperportions of said jaws to said crown so that the jaws are attached to thecrown in cantilever fashion and said jaws having inner surfaces disposedradially inwards of the adjacent surfaces of the skirt for engaging andeffecting local displacement at circumferentially spaced positions ofthe radially extending edge on the flange of the cap in a closingoperation.

SAMUEL DAVISON YOUNG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the

